Struck by Lightning
by Little Miss Annie
Summary: After a rough day, all that Faith Williams wanted was to get home. But when a storm rolls in, her life was turned upside down.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It had been a long and painful day. Just remembering it, brought tears to her eyes. It was one of those days where everything that could go wrong, went wrong in a million different ways.

 **Flashback**

-''I'm so sorry, Faith.'' – her boss said, sadness in his eyes. She had been working for him for three years now. Unfortunaly, he was struggling with keeping the shop open, so he decided to close.

-''It's ok, Mr. Olsen.'' – she said – ''I understand. I just wished there was something I could do.''

That shop and the people there were like family to her. She didn't have any family other than her boyfriend Mark; she was all alone in the world, so the staff and clients of that little coffee shop were part of her family.

She finished her shift, said goodbye to everyone and made her way towards the busy street. The cold winter air hit her face, making her eyes tear up, or was it the feeling of being all alone again? She didn't know. She stopped by the video store and picked up the latest season of her favorite show: ''Supernatural''. That was her other family. The fandom that stood behind the show and the amazing campaigns that the actors created had helped her in more ways than just one.

After getting out of the video store, Faith got into her car, taking a glimpse of her appearance: her long, dark brown hair fell on her shoulders, her uniform hugged her curvy body and her big brown eyes were red from crying. She knew that at that moment all she wanted was to be with her boyfriend. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. With Mark in mind, she turned her car into traffic and drove to his apartment. He wasn't expecting her but that didn't matter. She had a key and even if he wasn't home, she could wait for him.

Faith parked in front of his apartment, checking herself out in the mirror before exiting the car and walking towards the front door of the building. As she got to his door, she heard noises coming from inside the apartment; thinking it was the tv, she pulled her key out and walked in.

Her entire world crashed and burned at that moment. Her boyfriend, the man she talked about marrying, was having sex on the couch with her best friend, Laura. The world felt like it had stopped. That couldn't be. Why would he do something like that? How could her best friend do that to her? Faith was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even realized that both of them were talking to her, making up excuses and apologizing to her.

-''How could you?'' – she asked them, with an uncharacteristically calm in her voice.

-''Faith, baby, I'm so sorry. It's not what it looks like. It didn't mean anything. I was upset about work and Laura drop by, she comforted me and one thing led to another… Baby, I'm so sorry. Please, baby.'' – Mark said, trying to seem sincere, but Faith knew better. She had been there before. She knew all too well that he would do it again.

-''Don't call me baby. Baby is a '67 Chevy Impala. We're done. I don't want to talk to you, hear from you or ever see you again, understood? And as for you, Laura, don't come running to me when he does the same thing to you. I don't care about either of you, not anymore.'' – with that, Faith left the apartment. She was crushed. Tears streamed down her face as she made her way out of the building and into her car. Sitting in her car, Faith started thinking back on her relationship with Mark and realized that the signs were all there. Time passed. By the time Faith reeled back from her thoughts, a storm had started. She hated driving when it rained, but she couldn't stay there either. It was going to be a long drive back to her house. She lived just outside the city, in a house her grandfather had left her when he died. That meant a good two hours' drive through the storm. She started the car and drove into the traffic, leaving the city and her broken heart behind. All she wanted was to get home, jump into a hot shower and go to bed. But the storm had different plans…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Present**

Driving through the storm, Faith couldn't help but to think of the events of the day. For sure that founding out that Mark was cheating on her with Laura was the worse, but the weird part was that she wasn't even mad. She was hurt, but not mad. She wished that he had had the balls to tell her the truth, instead of letting her find out this way. That's what hurt her the most. That's when she realized that she had stopped loving him a long time ago.

The storm had picked up as she made her way home. Now, lightning was striking everywhere: the cable posts, the side of the road, the road itself. It was getting more dangerous by the second. ''I got to get to cover'', she thought. But as soon as that thought ran through her mind, she saw a flash of light, felt the car shaking and then… black.

Her car was hit by lightning. There weren't any other cars on the road, so when her car swerved and came to a stop on the side of the road, no one noticed, but if someone was there and decided to check the driver for injuries, they would have had quite a surprise. There was no one behind the wheel. The driver had vanished.

Where could she possible have gone?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It took Faith a while to regain conscience. After her car got hit by lightning, all she remembered was blackness. She woke up in a room that she didn't recognize at first. Her head was pounding and she had a massive headache. She figured that she must have hit her head.

-''Where am I?'' – she asked out loud, to an empty room. Getting on her feet, she took another look around, this time really looking.

-''Th-this can't be. It's impossible. It's not real.'' - Faith said in disbelief. She knew exactly where she was, but it was impossible. Before she could try and understand what was going on, the room door opened and a man started walking in, his eyes on the floor.

Suddenly, he looked up and saw her. Pulling his gun from his waist, he pointed it at her.

-''Who are you?'' – the man with green apple eyes asked her. She knew who he was but she couldn't believe any of it was real.

-''Wow, don't shoot, please.'' – Faith answered, scared that he might actually pull the trigger. Her fear must have been pretty noticeable, 'cause the man took a second look at her, still evaluating if she was dangerous or not.

-''SAM!'' – the man yelled, before turning his attention back to her - ''I'm gonna ask you again: who are you? And how the hell did you get in here?''

-''My name is Faith, Faith Williams. And I don't know how I got here, I swear.'' – Faith answered, with tears running down her face. The man could see she was genuinely scared.

-''Dean, what's go…'' – Sam asked his brother, before seeing Faith. That's when she lost it.

-''This can't be. You're not real. This isn't real. What's going on? You're not real.'' – Faith kept repeating. Falling to her knees, she could feel her breathing getting faster, the walls seemed to be closing in on her and she got to the point where she could hardly breathe.

-''She's having a panic attack.'' – Sam said, rushing to her side.

-''Sam, don't. We don't know what she is or how she got here.'' – Dean told his little brother, but stepped closer to her. He knew a panic attack when he saw one, and she wasn't faking it, that's for sure.

-''I'm human. But you're not real, it's impossible.'' – Faith managed to say, through sobs and short breath.

-''Listen to me, slow your breathing, focus on mine.''- Sam said to her, putting her hand on his chest so she could feel his breathing. Slowly, she calmed down and her breathing was almost back to normal.

-''Good girl.'' – Sam said with a small smile, once he saw her breathing going back to normal.

-''Drink this.'' – Dean said, as he offered her a glass of water. He stood there looking attentive at her, waiting for a response to the water. The glass had holy water and if she was a demon, it would burn her. Nothing happened. ''Ok, so not a demon'', Dean thought to himself.

-''What's your name?'' – Sam asked her, with kindness in his voice.

-''Faith, Faith Williams.''

-''How did you got in here, Faith?''

-''I don't know. I really don't. Look, I'm not a demon, not a shape shifter, not a monster, ok? And I'm pretty sure that none of this is real. You are just a part of my imagination.'' – Faith said, trying to keep it together but starting to fail at it miserably, as tears gathered in her eyes.

-''Mind if we make sure?'' – Dean asked, showing her a silver knife.

-''N-no.'' – she answered, shrugging her shoulders.

Dean made his way towards her, knife in hand, as Sam pulled her shirt sleeve up so they could see her forearm. Dean made a small cut on her arm, making her flinch with the sudden pain. No reaction to the silver in the knife. ''Not a shape shifter either'', he thought. Dean couldn't tell what was about that girl, a girl who mysteriously appeared in his bedroom in the heavily warded bunker, but there was something about her that made him feel protective of her.

Sam was watching both of them, not knowing exactly what to do. Looking at his brother, he noticed something in his eyes. Dean was looking at this girl the same way he looks at him when he's in trouble. He could tell his brother was going to protect this girl, no matter what.

Faith was sitting between the two men, looking back and forward between them, trying to make sense of what was going on. This couldn't be real. It just couldn't. They were fictional characters. That's all they were. She started thinking that either she was in a coma and this was all in her head or she was dead and this was her paradise. Either way, she needed to make sense of what was going on; otherwise she was going to go crazy.

-''Faith, what's the last thing you remember?'' – Sam asked from a chair across the room. They were now in the library, a glass of whiskey in her hand and her arm patched up.

-''I was driving home, through a thunder storm. Lightning started hitting everything around me. Then I saw a flash of light, my car started shaking and then… nothing. Next thing I know, I'm waking up here and Dean has a gun pointed at me. That's it.'' – Faith answered, trying to keep it together, but the memories of that day came rushing back and tears were flooding her eyes.

-''I gotta ask. You kept saying that this isn't real, that we aren't real. Why do you think that?'' – this time was Dean who asked, sitting right beside her on the leather couch.

-''You won't believe me. You'll think I'm crazy.'' – she answered, lowering her eyes to the now empty glass.

-''Try us. We're no strangers to crazy.'' – Dean answered, filling up her glass.

Faith kept her eyes locked in her glass, trying to find the right words. She knew they wouldn't believe her, that they would think that she was crazy, but still, she didn't even knew if any of that was real, so why not tell them? She took a deep breath and started to answer.

-''You see, I'm not from here. And I don't mean this city, this state or even this country. I'm from a different reality. One where you two are fictional characters in a TV show called ''Supernatural''. Your life is a TV show in my reality. That's why I said you aren't real.'' – she finally answered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

-''Okay, so wait, you're saying that our lives are a tv show? Why? No, seriously, why?'' – Dean couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that someone could be interested in their lives.

-''Dean, wait. We were sent there once, remember?'' – Sam said, trying to get Dean to calm down.

-''That's right. Balthazar sent you there with some sort of spell. Maybe you can send me back the same way.'' – Faith now had a sliver of hope, even though she still didn't believe it was real. – ''So, what's the plan? You guys know the spell, right?''

-''We do know the spell, but I don't think that you were sent here by a spell. We need to call Cas. Maybe he knows something.'' – Sam said.

-''Okay, I'm calling Cas. Hopefully he'll know what to do and what the hell is going on.'' – Dean said already dialing Cas's number.

After Dean talked to Cas, it was a matter of time for him to come over with some, hopefully, good news. Cas said that he would search in Heaven for anything that might explain Faith's sudden appearance at the bunker.

Hours went by and no word from Cas. Faith was getting restless. What if she wasn't able to go back? Not that she minded, after all, she didn't have anything to go back to. Maybe she could stay there with them, maybe even help them with research or finding cases. But, at the same time, she was going to miss her home, if for nothing else, for the memories of her grandfather. Sure, the last time she was in her reality she had an awful day: getting fired, finding out that she's been cheated on by her boyfriend and her best friend. But, for the most part, she was going to miss her reality.

While Faith was deep in thought, she didn't notice that Dean was watching her attentively. He saw the tears filling her eyes and decided to find out what was getting her on the brink of tears. Taking the chance while Sam was in the kitchen preparing something for them to eat, he sat next to her.

-''You okay, Faith?'' – Dean asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

-''Yeah, I'm fine.'' – she lied, fighting back the tears.

-''You know I can tell you're lying, right?'' – he said with a gentle smile.

-''It's just, I was just thinking about the awful day I had prior to get here and was debating whether I really want to go back.'' – her honesty surprised her. She wasn't one to talk about things, she always kept to herself. So, by saying what she was really thinking about to him, it surprised her.

-''Do you wanna talk about it?''

-''Sure'' – she said, shrugging her shoulders. – ''Well, first I was let go from my job of 3 years. The shop was going under and my boss decided to close. Then I find out that my boyfriend is cheating on me with my best friend. (cue the sarcasm) How I found out? The best way possible. By catching them in the act. Fun, right? Then, as I'm making my way home, a thunderstorm decides to send me here. I wake up in a strange room and as I just realize where I am, you walk in and, as soon as you see me, you point a gun at me. So, yeah, not the best day ever.'' – Faith said everything practically in one breath. She had too much on her shoulders. She was still reeling from all that happened in her reality and now she had to deal with the things in that reality as well. It was becoming too much for her. She started having difficulty to breathe again, the walls were closing in on her again and soon she began to see little spots of light. ''Great, another panic attack'', she thought.

Dean noticed her breathing becoming shallow and knew exactly what was happening. She was panicking again. He had to help her.

-''Faith, breathe. Look at me. You need to calm down. Focus on my breathing. Come on. You got this.'' – Dean said, rubbing her back and placing his hand on hers, which was on his chest. For some reason, seeing her like that broke his heart. He barely knew that girl, but for some reason, he couldn't help but feel protective of her. Slowly she calmed down, making Dean relax a little as well. Without even noticing, he had tensed up when he saw her panicking.

Just then Sam walked in from behind them and what he saw warmed his heart. His brother was sitting next to Faith, one hand rubbing her back, the other laying on top of hers, now on his knee. It was clear that Faith must have had another panic attack and Dean was there to calm her down. Dean could be a cold hunter when needed but in situations like this, he was kind and caring, a side of him that not many people knew about.

Sam was approaching them carrying sandwiches and beer, when Faith's stomach made its presence known, very loudly by the way. Both men looked at her and just burst out laughing, making Faith laugh as well. It's been a while since she laughed so hard. They were trying to settle down when Cas showed up at the bunker. His expression showed that he had news. But were they good or bad?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

-''Hello, you must be Faith. I'm Castiel.'' – Cas introduces himself to her.

-''Hi. I know. Nice to meet you.'' – she answered, still trying to contain her laughter. She could hear the guys calming down as well.

-''So, Cas, any news? Did you find out anything?'' – Dean asked.

-''I'm afraid I don't bring good news. It wasn't a spell that brought Faith to our reality. I'm not sure of what it was, but I do have some theories. Let me do some more research and whatever I find, I'll let you know. But it might take some time.'' – Cas said to them, with an apologetic look in his eyes. Faith could tell that he wished he had better news to give her.

-''Okay, how long are we talking about? A day or two, tops?'' – she asked, not really confident that it would be that fast.

-''Maybe a lot more, Faith. At least, a few weeks. I'm sorry.''

-''It's okay, Castiel. It's not your fault. I guess I'll just have to find somewhere to stay and a job while I wait. No biggie.'' – she said with a smile, trying to comfort the angel. With her experience, she would find a job in no time. As for a place to stay, a motel room would do just fine. Nothing she wasn't used to.

-''Wait a minute, Faith. You can stay here with us, you know that, right? We have plenty of room. Besides, it would be nice to have someone else to talk to other than Sasquatch over there.'' – Dean told her with a smile, pointing at Sam, which earned him a major bitch face from Sam.

-''Dean's right, Faith. You can stay here with us. There's no need for you to be on your own. Besides it would make life a lot easier for Cas, and for us as well. If you stay with us, Cas won't have to be repeating himself when he finds something and we can protect you. So what do you say? Will you please stay?'' – Sam asked her, with the biggest puppy dog eyes she had ever seen. She couldn't help but chuckle when she looked at Dean right beside him, doing the exact same thing.

-''Okay, fine. I'll stay, but I pull my own weight, so no treating me like a guest. I'll do whatever is needed. Deal?'' – Faith asked the guys. They both shook their heads in agreement along with huge smiles on their faces.

Immediately after that, Sam said goodbye to Cas and disappeared into one of the hallways of the bunker, while Dean offered to give her a tour. After saying their goodbyes to Cas and Faith thanking him for his help, the tour began. They talked about everything that happened, about what Cas had said, about themselves and about the hunters' life. It felt easy to talk to him. She felt at ease in the bunker, and even after everything that happened and the news that Cas had told them, she thought that she could be happy there and maybe even start a new life, with or without the guys.

Faith was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even heard Dean calling out to her.

-''Earth to Faith.''

-''Sorry, I zoned out for a bit.'' – she said, feeling a little embarrassed.

-''It's okay. I was asking you if you wanted to see the garage.'' – he asked with a smile.

-''Definitely.''

They walked to the garage and the first thing she saw was Dean's '67 Chevy Impala. The car was even more beautiful than she thought. She could tell it was Deans' pride and joy just by the way he looked at it. She slides her hand on the lines of the car: the way the color shines under the lights of the garage, how the rims were spotless, the cold feel of the door handle in her hand. The car was perfect. Then she looked around and saw the other cars and motorcycles that completed the rest of the garage. She was in awe of it all.

Thanks to her grandfather, she knew a thing or two about cars. In fact, he had taught her everything he knew about cars, and now, seeing all of those cars and remembering her grandfather, tears gather in her eyes. He would have loved that place.

Dean was looking at Faith with a smile on his face when he noticed a tear coming down her cheek.

-''Is everything okay, Faith?'' – he asked, worried that he might had said or done something that upset her.

-''Yeah, just thinking about my grandfather. He loved classic cars. He taught me everything I know about them and now, looking around this place, I just thought that he would have loved it. This would be like heaven to him.'' – she answered, a tear slipping away and a little smile forming on her lips.

-''Where you close to him?'' – Dean asked, leaning against the Impala.

-''He raised me since I was 9 years old. He did everything for me. He was more of a father to me than my own father. So, yeah, we were close. He taught me everything I know and I'm the woman I am today thanks to him.'' – Faith said, leaning on the Impala next to him.

-''I'm sorry, Faith. I know what is like.''

-''It's okay. That's why I don't know what to do. He left me the house I currently live in. It was his and when he died, he left it to me. Part of me doesn't want to lose that, but the other part of me wants to stay here and have a fresh start. That house is the only thing making me wanting to go back.''

-''You have to think of what's best for you. What would your grandfather want for you? Just think about that. Maybe you'll find your answer.'' – Dean told her with a soft smile. Part of him wanted her to go back to her reality, after all, she didn't belong in his world, but the other part, well, the other part was screaming at him to not let her go, to convince her to stay. Why? He had no clue.

-''I will. That really helps. Thanks Dean.'' – she answered, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

-''You're welcome. Now, what do you say we go check out what Sammy has been up to?''

-''Sure. He's been way to quiet.'' – she said with a chuckle.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

While Dean was giving Faith a tour of the bunker, Sam made his mission to get a room ready for her. So, that's exactly what he did. He cleaned out one of the bunkers' rooms in record time, got some fresh bed linens, as well as fresh towels. He made sure that Faith had everything she needed.

Sam was finishing it up, when he heard Dean and Faiths' voices coming down the hallway. He walked out of the room with a sense of accomplishment and a smile, waiting for them. As they were approaching the room, they saw Sam standing there.

-''What you've been up to, Sammy?'' – Dean asked.

-''I was just getting a room ready for Faith.''

-''You didn't need to do that. I could've just crashed on the couch.'' – Faith said, with a small smile.

-''No way. Like we said, we got plenty of room, there's no need for you to sleep on the couch. You wanna see it?'' – Sam asked her.

-''Of course.''

Faith opened the door and saw everything that Sam had been doing. Not only did he cleaned the room, he made the bed, got her some clean towels, and even went as far as putting some flowers in the room. She was impressed.

-''Sam, thank you, but you didn't have to do all this. Thank you so much.''

-''You're welcome. If you need anything else, just ask. There's also some shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom.''

-''Thanks.'' – Faith was deeply touched not only for what Sam had done but also by the way both of them were treating her. They were being really kind and sweet to her, something that she wasn't really expecting. Sure, they tested her to make sure that she wasn't a monster, but all in all, they had been really kind to her.

-''Well, you should get some rest. You had an eventful day today and we could all use a good nights' rest.'' – Dean said.

-''You're right. I'll see you in the morning.'' – Faith said, with a tired smile.

-''Good night, Faith.''

-''Good night, Sam.'' – she answered, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

-''Good night, Faith.''

-''Good night, Dean.'' – she said, doing the same.

-''Sam, Dean. Thank you. For everything. Really.'' – she said, as the boys were walking away.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

When Faith woke up the next morning, she was expecting to wake up in her bed, that the day before had just been a dream, but when she open her eyes and took a look around, she realized that that wasn't so. There she was: in a room in the bunker. She got up and made her way to the bathroom. Turning the shower on, she got out of her clothes and stepped under the hot water. As the water hit her body, she could feel all of the stress and worries being washed way.

After a while, she got out of the shower and that's when she realized that she didn't had any clothes to put on, other than the ones she had worn the day before, which meant that she needed to get some new ones. She needed to talk to the boys about that, but then another issue came to mind: she didn't have any money. ''How the hell am I gonna buy clothes without money?'', she thought.

Still debating whether she could ask the boys for a loan or not, she got to the kitchen and found it empty. She decided to thank the boys for everything they had done for her by cooking them breakfast. She started by making pancakes and bacon for Dean and then a veggie omelet for Sam. For her she made the same as Dean. Just as she was finishing the coffee, the boys walked in the kitchen following the smell.

-''Morning. That smells good.'' – Dean said, still waking up.

-''Morning, Faith.'' – Sam said, right behind his brother, trying to tame his hair.

-''Morning, guys. Thanks. So, pancakes and bacon for you, Dean, and Sam, for you, a veggie omelet.'' – Faith said with a smile.

-''Wow, these are really good, Faith.'' – Dean said between bites.

-''You didn't have to do this, you know right?'' – Sam told her.

-''I know, but, first, like I said, I pull my own weight and, second, it's my way of thanking you guys for everything.'' – she answered, with a smile.

They ate breakfast in silent, only being interrupted by the occasional moan of delight coming from Dean. After finishing breakfast, the boys did the dishes while Faith cleared the table. That's when Faith decided to talk to the boys about the loan.

-''Hum, guys, there's something I need to talk to you about.'' – she said, a bit worried about their reaction.

-''What's up, Faith?'' – Dean asked her, drying off his hands.

-''Well, I was wondering if you guys could lend me some money so I can buy some clothes and a few other things I need. I'll pay you back as soon as I find a job, I promise.'' – she was so nervous that she didn't even look to the boys while asking them that. She didn't want them to think that she was trying to take advantage of them or of the situation.

-''Of course. To be completely honest, we didn't even thought of that. And there's no need for you to pay us back.'' – Sam answered with a smile. He could tell that she felt uncomfortable asking them that.

-''Sammy's right, Faith. We'll go to town and get you some new clothes and everything else that you need. We also need some supplies, so…'' – Dean added, trying to put her at ease.

Faith let go of a breath that she didn't realized she was holding. She was so worried about the boys reaction that she didn't even consider the fact that the boys would react like this. They definitely were making her decision extremely difficult.

The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to go back to her reality. Sure, their reality was dangerous, she knew very well what kind of things went bumping in the night, but at the same time, she knew she had nothing waiting for her in her reality. She was divided. ''Let's wait and see what the next few days will bring'', she thought. And, for now, that was enough for her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Faith, Dean and Sam got back to the bunker around lunch time. Going to the city shopping was a success, well, more or less.

While the grocery run went fine, buying clothes and other personal items for Faith was a challenge. Not that she didn't find anything that she liked, but because she felt very self-conscious about letting the boys buy her those things. She always worked for her things, never depending on anyone to buy them for her, even when Mark offered her something, she always felt like she didn't deserved it. So, needless to say that having the boys buying things for her felt weird.

The boys had decided to pick up lunch on their way back to the bunker, so while Faith was putting her new clothes away, the boys started taking care of lunch.

-''Do you think that Cas will come up with a solution for Faith?'' – Sam asked his brother, while taking out three burgers from the bag.

-''I don't know. You heard him. This wasn't a spell. He did say that he had some theories, so we have to wait and see.''

-''Do you even want her to go back?'' – Sam asked. He could see the way his brother looked at Faith. The last time he saw that look, was with Lisa. Even though they only have known her for 24 hours, there was something about her that made them feel protective of her. Sam felt that she was like a little sister and he could tell his brother was starting to fall for her, even if he didn't know it yet.

-''Why wouldn't I? This isn't her reality and you know very well that everyone who gets close to us ends up hurt or worse. I don't want that for her.'' – Dean answered, without looking at his brother. But, for some reason, he wasn't being completely honest. Yes, it was true that she didn't belong there and if she stayed, she could get hurt or something worse. He had seen it before. But, on the other hand, he didn't want her to leave. From the moment he saw her, scared to death, in his room, all he could think was that he needed to protect her. And no matter how many times he thought about it, he didn't know why.

Just as Dean answered to Sam's question, Faith came in the kitchen.

-''Hummm, that smells good. I'm starving.'' – she said with a smile, completely oblivious to the conversation the boys had.

-''Well, dig in. The fries are getting stall.'' – Sam said.

-''Any word on Castiel?'' – she asked, hoping she might have a little more time to decide what to do.

-''No, nothing yet. But he did say it would take a few weeks, so…'' – Dean answered.

-''Okay, so I guess I'll just find a job, if I'm ever going to pay you guys back.''

-''Faith, there's no need for that. Come on. It was our pleasure.'' – Sam reassured her with a kind smile.

Just as Sam said that, his phone started to ring.

-''Hello? Oh, hi Jody. What's up? Okay, I guess Dean and I can take a look. No, don't worry. We'll take a look and I'll call you if it's something we can take care of. Dean says hi. Okay, bye.''

-''Is everything okay with Jody?'' – Dean asked, his voice coated with concern.

-''Yeah, she thinks she might have found a case for us. She sent everything she has to my e-mail so we can take a look.''

-''Is there anything I can do to help?'' – Faith asked, not knowing what else to do.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Sam and Dean read through the file that Sheriff Jody Mills sent them and agreed that it was something right up their alley. It was a string of animal attacks but all the attacks were at a part of a forest that didn't have animals big enough to cause those kinds of injuries. Of course, Jody's first thought was hellhounds and that was the same for the boys.

-''Okay, so it's probably a hellhound. What do we need?'' – Sam said, after reading the file.

-''Holy oil, glasses and either the angel blade or the demon knife.'' – Faith answered without even thinking.

-''Wow, you definitely know your monsters.'' – Dean said, with a smile and actually impressed.

-''Sorry. I used to watch the show so I know pretty much how to kill everything.'' – Faith said, embarrassed.

-''No need to apologize. It's actually pretty cool that you know that.'' – Sam said with a reassuring smile.

With that the boys set out to gather everything they needed to take care of the hellhounds. Meanwhile, Faith sat at Sam's computer, searching for job openings nearby, but for some reason she kept going back to the file that Jody had sent them. She ended up doing some research and found who she thought would be the next victim.

-''Hey guys, I think I know who's going to be next on the hellhounds list.'' – Faith said to the boys as they entered the library to say goodbye to her.

-''How?'' – Dean asked.

-''Well, I did a search for people who had a major change in their lives and went back 10 years. Out of a few dozen hits, I found all of the victims so far, plus this one. Josh Thompson. He was dying with brain cancer, just married and had a baby girl on the way. Then, all of a sudden, he was cured. One day he had the cancer, the next nothing.'' – she answered, with a sense of pride in her.

-''That's pretty good. Good job, Faith. That will help a lot. But how did you get into his medical records?'' – Sam said impressed at her initiative, while seeing the MRI's of the guys' head.

-''Just a quick hack into the system. Nothing big.'' – she said, now a bit embarrassed.

-''Cool.''

And with that, the boys said their goodbyes, with a bunch of recommendations, and left to kill some hellhounds. Faith was still in the library, long after the boys had left, thinking of what she was going to do all alone in the bunker. She decided that she was going to explore and after that, she would do some cleaning. That would keep her busy, for a few hours at least. After that? Well, she would have to improvise.

The boys were on their way to meet Jody Mills when Sam decided to ask his brother the question that was bothering him for a while now.

-''Dean, there's something I need to ask you.''

-''Okay!?''

-''It's about Faith. I know we only met her a little more than 24 hours ago, but… What are we gonna do if Cas can't find a way to send her back to her reality? Or if she doesn't wanna go?'' – Sam asked with concern in his voice.

-''I don't know, Sam. She can't stay with us. She might get hurt if she does. Maybe she can stay with Jody or Bobby. We'll figure something out.'' – Dean answered, not wanting to have that talk. The truth was that he didn't want her to leave. Hell, he wanted her to stay and to stay with them. No, not them. Him. He never felt that way for anyone. Not even for Lisa. There was something about her that made him want to stay close to her as much as possible. She was all over his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about her. What was it about her that made him feel like that?

While Dean was lost in his own thoughts, Sam was watching his brother and when a smile creeped his way to his brother's lips, he knew exactly who he was thinking about. Faith. Ever since his brother found her in his room, that he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He saw the way Dean looked at her, the way he smiled and laughed around her. If she was to return to her reality, it would break Dean's heart for sure. And Sam couldn't stand the thought of seeing his brother heartbroken, not again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Faith was going insane, stuck in the bunker for 3 days now, without anything to do. She had clean the bunker, from top to bottom; did all the laundry, including the bed linens, for all three of them and watched every season of ''Game of Thrones'' that Sam owned. She wished that the boys would just hurry up with those hellhounds. Just as she thought that, she heard noise coming from the garage. ''That's weird. The guys aren't supposed to be back for another day'', she thought.

Grabbing the gun from under the desk in the library, just like Dean told her, she made her way to the garage, carefully. She heard heavy footsteps coming her way, so she snuck around the corner and waited. Just as the steps got close enough to get a clean shot at whoever it was, she got out of her hiding spot and aimed the gun forward.

-''Wow, Faith, it's us.'' – Dean said, jumping backwards, making Sam stumble back as well.

-''God, I'm so sorry. I thought you guys weren't supposed to be back for another day or so.'' – she said, embarrassed that she just pointed the gun at the guys.

-''It's okay. We're just glad you didn't shoot on sight.'' – Sam said with a little chuckle.

-''Me too.''

After putting the gun back in its place, they all sat down in the library. The boys told her how her lead was right and how they found the hounds. She told them everything she did while they were away. They spent hours talking. The boys quizzing her about monsters, where to find them and how to kill them. Faith asking them about the monsters she didn't know about. Soon was time to call it a night, even though none of them was really tired.

As they retreat to their separate rooms, Sam couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen when was time for Faith to go back to her reality. He could already see his brother drowning the issue in a bottle of whiskey and not wanting to talk about it. Even he didn't want to imagine how he will react when the time comes. For a second he wished that Cas wouldn't find anything, but he knew that he was just being selfish.

Next door, Dean was thinking the exact same thing. How he wished that Cas didn't find anything or that she would choose to stay with him. It was wishful thinking but he couldn't help it. He had fallen for her. Although he wouldn't admitted it out loud.

Laying in her bed, Faith was thinking of how great it would be if she could just stay there. She already showed the boys that she could help them with research and around the bunker, so why not stay? But at the same time, she knew she didn't belong there. She was still divided by the time she fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

A few weeks had passed and there was still no word from Cas. He would check in every once in a while but it was always the same. He was still trying to figure out how she got there. In the meanwhile, Faith had become their secret weapon when it came to research. She would find them cases, do all the research and all the boys would have to do was hunt. They even would take her with them on a couple of cases, just in case they would need additional research.

With everything that was going on, Faith completely forgot that eventually she would have to leave the boys. She felt happy with them, hell, she felt like she belong and that she was finally doing something good with her life, just like her grandfather wanted for her. Okay, maybe this wasn't exactly what he had in mind for her, but did it really matter? One way or another she was doing something good with her life. But, as they say, everything that's good comes to an end.

They had just return from another hunt. They were cleaning the guns and repacking their duffels, just in case another hunt appears, when Cas showed up at the bunker.

-''Hey, Castiel. What brings you down to Earth?'' – Faith said, greeting the angel with a smile.

-''Hi, Faith. Dean, Sam. I finally discovered how you got here.'' – the angel said with a proud but tired smile.

-''You did?'' – Dean was the first to ask. How he wished Cas was lying, but he knew that Cas wouldn't lie about something like that.

-''Yes, it turns out my original theory was correct. The lightning that sent Faith here was actually an angel going to her reality. And she got caught in the remains of the angels' power which sent her here.'' – Cas was proud of himself. After all that time without an answer to give them, now he finally had good news. Or so he thought.

-''So, now what?'' – Faith asked, not wanting to know the answer. She wished that Cas would say that there was no way for her to go back, just so she wouldn't have to make a choice.

-''There's a way to send you back, but we need something from that reality. Something that has some sort of meaning to you and that is related to there.''

-''My necklace. It was a gift from my grandfather. It's the only thing that means anything to me and that connects me to my reality.'' – she said, sadness in her voice.

-''Very well. Give me an hour and you'll be back to your reality soon.''

-''Thank you, Castiel. I guess I should go and get my things.''

What no one noticed was that Dean had left the library. He didn't want her to go, but he couldn't ask her to stay either. She didn't belong there, even though she had proved to them that she could easily adapt to their world. She was amazing at research and as for hunting, she was a quick learner. How he wished she would choose to stay. In the past few weeks they had been growing closer. Talking for hours, rocking out in the Impala, pranking Sam or just sitting in the couch together watching tv. He never felt so comfortable with someone other than her. And now she was leaving, forever. It was too much for him. Climbing in the Impala, he decided to just drive. He didn't want to see her leave, so he wouldn't be there to watch.

While Faith went to her room to gather her things, Sam went looking for his brother. He knew Dean wouldn't be taking the news very well. Just as he gets to the garage, he heard the Impala's engine roaring, and he knew. Dean wouldn't be there to say goodbye to Faith. It would hurt too much. On top of the tool box was an envelope with Faiths' name written on it in Deans' handwriting. Sam knew Faith needed to read it before going back. ''Whatever that letter says, it just might convince her to stay'', Sam thought. Hopefully.

Faith was fighting back the tears as she was gathering her things to leave to her reality, but when she came across a photo they had taken just a few days before, she lost it. In the photo, she was in the middle of Sam and Dean, all laughing but there was something else in the way that Dean was looking at her. She didn't know what it was, but it didn't matter. It was too late. She had made her decision. She didn't belong there and without her in the picture, the boys wouldn't have to worry about her safety. She decided that since she was going back, at least she would let Dean know how she felt for him, so she wrote him a letter.

 ** _Faith's letter_**

''Dean,

I'm writing you this letter for a few reasons.

First, I wanna thank you for everything. Sure, our first meeting wasn't exactly normal but still. You have been nothing but kind and caring and I can never thank you enough for that. You never made me feel like an outsider and that meant a lot to me.

Second, please don't be sad that I'm leaving. We both knew that this day would come and that I don't belong here. I would just slow you guys down and crimple your style when you're trying to pick up some chick at a bar. (Eheh) Just remember the good times we had, please.

Third and the real reason why I'm writing this letter. I love you. Slowly, but surely, I've been falling in love with you. It wasn't something that I had planned, it just happened. I wished that I was braver, just brave enough to tell you this in person, but I'm not. I love you and I will carry you in my heart forever.

I'm sorry, Dean. I wished things could be different. I really do, but this isn't my world.

Goodbye, Dean.

With all the love in the world,

Faith.''

When Faith finished the letter, she was a mess. Just then there was a knock on her door.

-''Come in.'' – she said, pulling herself together.

-''Hey, Faith. Can we talk?'' – Sam asked, a sad look in his eyes.

-''Sure. What's going on?''

-''Dean's gone. I think he couldn't stand having to say goodbye to you. I found this in the garage. It's for you.'' – Sam gave her the letter from Dean and left. That was something she needed to read alone.

Her hands were shaking and she had tears in her eyes, while opening the letter. Once opened, she saw Dean's handwrite and a few teardrops in the paper.

 ** _Dean's letter_**

''Faith,

I'm sorry for not being there to say goodbye, but I just can't.

From the moment I saw you in my bedroom, completely terrified, I knew that I would follow and protect you wherever you might go. But now, you're going somewhere I can't follow and it hurts.

You brought light back to my life, you showed me how to smile and taught me how to laugh again, and for that I'll never be able to thank you enough.

I wished I couldn't feel a damn thing, Faith, because it hurts too much to lose the woman I love. Yes, I love you. I love you with all my heart and now you're leaving. I wished you didn't have to leave, but your life is there. I understand that now. You'll always be the one for me, Faith. No matter what, I will always love you.

I wish you nothing but the best.

With love,

Dean Winchester.''


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Faith couldn't believe. Dean loved her too. If only she didn't have to go. Tears flooded her eyes and came down her face as she kept re-reading Dean's letter. Just then there was a knock on her door.

-''Faith?'' – Cas asked, while opening the door.

-''Yes, Castiel?''

-''Is everything okay?''

-''Yeah, everything's fine. Is it time?'' – Faith asked, unsure if she was going to be able to go through with it.

-''Yes, it's time. But you know, if you don't want to, you don't have to. It's okay if you want to stay.''

-''I have to go, Castiel. I don't belong here. I would just be a burden and the guys don't deserve that.'' – she answered with tears in her eyes.

-''Faith, sometimes we do things and we think that we are doing the right thing but, in reality, we're not. I can tell that you are happy here and I know for a fact that both Sam and Dean are happy to have you here. From what Sam has told me, you've even been quite helpful on the hunts you've been with them. So why not stay?''

At the mention of Dean's name, Faith began to cry again. She couldn't even imagine her life without him or Sam. Sam had become a brother to her and Dean, well, Dean was the love of her life.

-''Castiel, if I stayed, and I'm not saying I'm staying, but if I choose to stay, would it have any consequences to either this reality or my own?'' – she asked.

-''No. There will be no consequences. You can stay if you want.'' – Cas said with a gentle smile.

What he didn't tell her, nor the brothers for that matter, was that, while he was in heaven, he found out that Dean and Faith were soul mates. He thought it was interesting the way they seemed to get pulled towards each other and how they couldn't seem to stand to be away from each other. How they couldn't stop thinking of each other and how every time they were together, time seemed to stop. So, he decided to take a look at the soul mates record and, sure enough, their names were there. And, even though he was trying to help Faith to get back to her reality, he was going to try and convince her to stay, without telling what he found out.

-''So, that means that, if I want, I can stay? And I won't have to worry about something going wrong just because I chose to stay?'' – she asked.

-''That's exactly what it means, Faith. Now, I'll be in the library whenever you're ready. Just remember, whatever you decide, it's okay, as long as you're happy and certain that that's what you want.'' – Cas said with a smile.

It didn't take Faith long to decide what she was going to do. She knew that if she was to go back, she wouldn't have anything to go back to, but, if she stayed, she could have a fresh start. Not only that, she could stay with someone that she loved and that loved her. She knew what she needed to do. No going back now.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

By the time Dean made his way back to the bunker, it was late in the night. He knew that, when he would get there, Faith would be long gone. He felt guilty for not being there to say goodbye to her, but he just couldn't. The feeling of emptiness had settled in the moment he left and now that he was getting closer to the bunker, it was getting worse. ''Why did I fell for her?'', Dean thought, tears streaming down his face. He parked the Impala in the garage and took a deep breath. He knew Sam would want to talk about Faith's leaving and how they were both feeling, but he couldn't. Not now, not ever. She would always be the one that got away. The one he could never have. And that hurt.

Sam was in the kitchen when he heard the distinct roar of the Impala's engine. ''Dean's back'', Sam said out loud. He decided to meet his brother in the garage but he wasn't ready for what he saw. Dean was still sitting in the Impala, tears streaming down his face and he was trying to pull himself together. Sam knew that Dean wasn't one to just simply fall in love with someone, but he did with Faith.

-''Dean?'' – Sam asked, after seeing his big brother calm down enough to climb out of the car.

-''Yeah, Sammy?'' – Dean answered, his voice coarse and his eyes red from all the crying.

-''You okay?''

-''I'll be, Sammy, I'll be.'' – Dean said, making his way out of the garage. –'' I just need a good night's sleep.''

-''At least have a drink with me in the library, before.'' – Sam asked. It hurt him to see his brother like that.

-''Maybe tomorrow, Sammy.''

-''We don't have to talk, Dean. Just one drink, please.''

-''Okay, just one drink.'' – Dean eventually gave in. He realized that, this couldn't be easy for Sam either. It wasn't just him who lost someone he loved, so did Sam. During the time Faith was them, they had become like brother and sister. Sam was hurting as well, so the least he could do was have a drink with his little brother.

Dean was so absorbed in his thoughts, while walking towards the library, that he didn't even noticed that there was someone else there with them.

-''Hi, Dean.''

Dean didn't even answer. He couldn't. Faith was standing there, in the library, right in front of him. He didn't think twice. Closing the space between them, Dean took Faith in his arms and kissed her like he had never kissed anyone before.

All Sam could do was smile. Slowly, he left the library and them alone. There was a lot they needed to talk about, but one thing Sam knew for sure: Dean was the happiest man alive. And that was all that he wanted for his brother. Now, Dean had the love of his life back and Sam had his ''sister''. Life was good and a new chapter of their lives was about to start.

 **The End.**


End file.
